Star Stories, part 11: How the Fisher Brought Summer to the North
- zhaawano
- Jul 21, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 3
Miin-giizis /Abitaa-niibini-giizis (Berry Moon/Halfway Summer Moon), July 21, 2021
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STAR TRAVELER Under the Fisher Star Hearing the story anew Deep inside my heart Wanderlust it grew All it took was one Shining brightly in the night My mind now races blindly This is spirit flight So much more is out there Not bound to what I hold Imagination is endless As constellations unfold Skipping from star to star A child playing in the dark Happy laughter in dreams The sky is now my park Days go by in sunshine Warmth will never fail Come night under the fisher Once again I set sail...
— Poem by Simone McLeod ©Simone McLeod
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Our Star Knowledge Defines Who We Are
The star constellations and star knowledge of our Peoples, the Ininiwak (Cree) and Ojibwe Anishinaabeg, have long been connected to aandakiiwinan (seasonal changes), nandawenjige (hunting and fishing), gathering activities, manidookewinan (ceremonies), and our aadizookewin (storytelling). The stars are ingrained in our identity, guiding us and ensuring our survival as a People. One of the most recognized star patterns is the Big Dipper, part of the larger constellation known as Ursa Major in Western star maps. The Anishinaabeg and Cree Peoples refer to the Big Dipper as Ojiig-anang or Ochek Atchakosuk (Fisher Star).
Ojiig-anang or Ochek Atchakosuk is an asterism of several bright stars resembling an ojiig (fisher marten) with an arrow in its tail; known as the Big Dipper, or Bear by Euro-Americans. Ojiig, or Ochek, is a weasel or marten-like creature, small and fierce with a long body, a skilled and energetic hunter of the northwoods, representing the doodem of hunters among several Anishinaabeg bands from the Great Lakes region. He symbolizes determination and good judgment.
Ojiig-anang appears just above the horizon from October to December. In December, it becomes visible in the northeast sky. Throughout the long winter, the Fisher travels across the night sky with his wife, both rotating around Giiwedin Anang, the Home Returning Star (North Star or Polaris), which is located at the tip of the Little Fisher/Little Dipper's handle. The Anishinaabeg and Ininewak Peoples recognize the approach of spring when Ojiig-anang is directly overhead at nightfall. The rise of Ojiig-anang also indicates the time to prepare for aninaatig ozhiga'igewin or tapping of the maple trees.
The black and white line drawing above and the wedding band set shown below, both created by Zhaawano Giizhik, illustrate the aadizookaan (traditional, sacred story) of how Big Fisher and his bride Little Fisher (the Little Dipper) completed the arrangement of the skies.
14K white gold story rings with red gold interiors and inlays depicting the Fisher and the moon phases in the night sky. The rings serve as educational tools and are not for sale.
The Sacred Ojibwe tale of the Fisher Star
Long ago, during the Ice Age when the relentless Ga-biboonikaan (Bringer Of Winter) kept the earth perpetually covered in snow and ice, a brave Ojibwe Anishinaabe hunter named Ojiig transformed into the Fisher. With the help of the Wolverine, he ascended to the realm of the Sky Beings who inhabit the Jibay-miikana (Milky Way, shown in the top left corner of the drawing), in a bold attempt to steal Niibin, the summer.
However, when the celestial beings discovered Ojiig opening the wadabiimakakoon (baskets) filled with summer birds and fowls, releasing them and allowing warm breezes to flow down to the frigid earth, they struck him with their magical arrows.
As a result, Ojiig, still in the form of a fisher, succumbed to blood loss from his tail. GICHI-MANIDOO, the Great Mystery, while completing the creation of the earth and skies, decreed that Ojiig's newlywed bride Ojiigansikwe (Little Fisher Woman), who also came from earth, would leave her starry footprints around her fallen husband. Thus, Ojiig and Ojiigansikwe finalized the arrangement of the skies.
The illustration also shows the courageous Little Fisher Woman as she rises into the sky in pursuit of Ojiig, attempting to escape the anger of the sky women, who were envious of her because she alone captured Ojiig's heart. The Sky Women chased Little Fisher Woman throughout the universe, breaking the earth and the seas with their lightning and thunder, until she temporarily found refuge under a massive rock now known as Akakojiishi, the great Groundhog (depicted in the lower left corner of the picture).
The band on the left represents the Little Fisher (Little Dipper) asterism, with the North Star located at the tip of the Dipper's handle. Meanwhile, the shape of her husband, the Fisher Marten, appears in the band on the right. Together, as they dominate the night sky throughout the year, the Fisher asterisms have traditionally been a crucial navigation aid for the Anishinaabeg and Ininewak Peoples of the Northwoods. The ring set serves as a storytelling tool and is not for sale
On clear nights, the Ininewak and Anishinaabeg can still observe the married couple residing eternally in the skies. They continue to honor Ojiig and Ojiiganse for their sacrifice, which resulted in the changing seasons. They became the eternal markers of the seasons and remind us to respect and appreciate what has been entrusted to us—and, most importantly, to not take blessings for granted. Thanks to Ojiig and his courageous spouse Ojiigansikwe, our Peoples now experience seven to eight moons without snow…
THE LINKS:
Star Stories: The Great Sky Bear That Lives Among the Stars